Grace Poe: Nothing can stop me now

SORSOGON, Philippines – Nothing can stop me now.

This is what presidential candidate and senator Grace Poe said Saturday, April 9, after the Supreme Court released a resolution that affirmed its earlier decision which said she can run for president.

In a statement, Poe said during a visit to Sorsogon, “Parang nawalan na ng kadena ang ating pangangampanya at tuloy-tuloy na po.” (It feels like my campaign has been unchained and it will go full-speed.) Sorsogon is the home province of her running mate, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

In its minute resolution, the High Court said, “The Court resolved, by the same vote of 9-6, to deny with finality the…motions for reconsideration as the basic issues raised therein have been passed upon by this Court and no substantial arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned decision.” (READ: SC upholds ruling: Grace Poe can run for president)

Thankful for the decision, Poe said, “Nagbibigay lang ito ng affirmation na naging malakas at tama ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa hustisyang ibinigay nila.” 

Election lawyer Emil Marañon had previously written, however, that the High Court’s findings on Poe’s qualifications “are not conclusive in the strict sense of the law. They do not even constitute res judicata or a bar to a later action for quo warranto before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.”

But Poe said that should she win, she is confident she will hurdle questions on her citizenship that could be raised before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), which handles disqualification cases against an incumbent president.

“Matibay ang naging desisyon. Sa tingin ko ay kahit na kuwestiyunin pa nila sa PET, malakas ang laban natin.” (The decision is firm. I think that even if they question it before the PET, we have a strong case.)

Poe has been a front-runner in the presidential surveys. In the ABS-CBN survey done by Pulse Asia from March 15 to 20, Poe obtained a voter preference rating of 28%, up 2 percentage points from her rating in the previous poll.

The Standard Poll conducted from March 26-April 1, however, showed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte inching his way up.

Poe said in her statement, “Para sa akin kasi ang pinakatinitingnan ng ating mga kababayan higit sa lahat ay talagang plataporma naman ng mga tumatakbo at ‘yung karakter ng mga lider.” (For me, what citizens will look at above everything is the platform and character of leaders.) 

The Supreme Court had voted 9-6 on March 8 to grant the senator’s petition to reverse the poll body’s decision to disqualify her from the presidential race. The High Court said the Comelec acted with grave abuse of discretion when it cancelled Poe’s certificate of candidacy on questions of citizenship and residency. – Rappler.com